Source: euronews.
Friday, June 1, 2018
Poor People's Campaign Asks America to Face the Injustices Keeping Millions in Poverty
This report was broadcast on YouTube on May 30.
Source: PBS NewsHour
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on U.S. Steel and Aluminum Tariffs: 'Totally Unacceptable'
The Canadian leader held a news conference in Ottawa
shortly after the U.S. announced tariffs on steel and aluminum would be
imposed on imports from Canada, Mexico and the European Union. He told
reporters that the U.S. decision was “totally unacceptable” and the
tariffs were an “affront” to the longstanding security partnership
between the two countries. He’s joined by Canadian Foreign Minister
Chrystia Freeland who outlined the retaliatory measures proposed against
the U.S.
Click here for video.
Hurricane Preparedness in 2018
New Republic staff writer Emily Atkin discusses what’s been done
to make vulnerable communities more resilient to hurricanes following
last year’s season.
Click here for video.
Source: C-SPAN
MS-13 in the U.S: An Analysis
Héctor Silva Ávalos of American University’s Center for Latin American
and Latino Studies discusses the state of MS-13 in the U.S.
Click here for video.
Border Patrol Continues to Exaggerate Danger to Agents to Justify Violence Against Immigrants
By Debbie Nathan
After Claudia Patricia Gómez González, a 19-year-old
indigenous Guatemalan, was shot to death last week by a Border Patrol
agent near Laredo, Texas, the Border Patrol issued a press release
claiming that the teenager was one of a group of “illegal aliens” who
were “assailants” threatening the agent with “blunt objects.” Two days
later, the government’s story changed. A new press release did not
mention weapons, and it described the young woman not as an “assailant,”
but as a part of a group who “rushed” the officer after ignoring orders
to get on the ground.
As a storm of media coverage ensued, NPR reported
that the Border Patrol’s “use of force involving firearms” had more
than doubled, after dropping more than 70 percent over five years. From
October 2017 to March 2018, agents used guns nine times. During the same
period the previous year, they used guns four times.
Administration officials justified the spike, NPR said, by claiming
that assaults on Border Patrol agents have increased significantly.
Click here for the full article.
Source: The Intercept_
Flint Water Crisis: Race 'Was Factor' in Authorities’ Slow and Misleading Response, Says City's Black Mayor
Karen Weaver claims she was told to 'get over it' by the state's Republican governor Rick Snyder, an accusation he denies.
By Andrew Buncombe
Race and class were factors in the authorities’ slow and allegedly dishonest response to Flint’s water crisis, the Michigan city’s mayor has claimed.
Karen Weaver,
who was elected mayor in November 2015, 18 months after the fateful
decision had been made to switch the source of Flint’s water supply,
said had the city not been either predominately African American and
poor, the crisis may not have happened, or else the response would have
been different.
“I sure do. And I was not the only person who thought this,” Ms Weaver told The Independent in an interview in her office.
Click here for the full article.
Source: The Independent
U.S. Adds 223,000 New Jobs as Unemployment Falls to 18-Year Low in May
By Jeffry Bartash
The numbers: The U.S. created a robust 223,000 new
jobs in May to push unemployment down to an 18-year low of 3.8%,
signaling that a nine-year-old economic expansion still has plenty of
steam despite being one of the oldest ever.
The increase in hiring — the biggest in three months — exceeded the 200,000 forecast of economists polled by MarketWatch.
Click here for the full article.
Source: marketwatch.com
An Imperial Presidency Can't Happen Unless Congress Abdicates Authority
This report was published on YouTube on May 31. You can view the full discussion here.
Source: CBS News
Aid Agencies Warn of Syrian Refugee Funding Shortfall
This report was published on YouTube on May 31.
Source: euronews.
Racist and Homophobic Chants on the Rise in Russia Ahead of World Cup
This report was published on YouTube on May 31.
Source: euronews.
Rape as a Weapon of War: Women in South Sudan Speak Out
This report was published on YouTube on May 31.
Source: euronews.
Inside Cynthia Nixon’s Developing Campaign Infrastructure
By Caitlin Bishop
If elected governor, Cynthia Nixon is promising to “transform New
York" into a state “for the many” but her campaign for governor is
already rapidly transforming the landscape of New York politics. She is
putting pressure on incumbent Governor Andrew Cuomo, whom she hopes to
defeat in the Democratic primary, and broadening her supporter base by
linking up with the Working Families Party and other liberal groups that
have endorsed her.
Three-and-a-half months from the September 13 primary, Nixon and her
allies are plotting and executing a developing plan to create a
statewide network and the campaign infrastructure necessary to carry her
to what would be one of the most shocking upsets in recent political
history.
Click here for the full article.
Source: The Gotham Gazette (via Empire Report New York)
'Democracy in Action': Deadlocked Senate Descends Into Chaos
By Nick Niedzwiadek
ALBANY — The state Senate lurched into disarray Thursday as a
deadlocked chamber torpedoed a floor vote for the first time since the
DREAM Act failed in 2014, prompting accusations from both sides of
political gamesmanship.
“You saw democracy in action, and you saw Democrats playing shameless
games with people’s lives, children’s lives,” Senate Majority Leader
John Flanagan (R-East Northport) said after session adjourned until
Monday. “Democrats have decided they don’t want to govern, they want to
have politics rule the day. It’s embarrassing, it’s disgusting and I
hope the public understands they voted down a bill that was aimed to
protect children all across the sate of New York. I don’t know how much
more evident it gets than that.”
Senate Democrats this week have attempted to attach hostile
amendments to force votes on two long stalled reproductive health
measures — Comprehensive Contraceptive Coverage Act, NY S 3668 (17R), and the Reproductive Health Act, NY S 2796 (17R) — prompting Republicans who control the chamber to scrap the planned agenda Wednesday.
Click here for the full article.
Source: Politico (via Empire Report New York)
Thursday, May 31, 2018
'Trump in Trouble: Circling the Wagons. Why Now?'
By Steven Jonas
Trump has been in trouble ever since the FBI began looking into possible ties between his campaign and Russian interests in the summer of 2016. We all know the gathering storm of evidence of cooperation or attempted cooperation between the Campaign and Russian interests. (Other crimes, like money-laundering and obstruction of justice could be on his legal agenda as well.) That evidence was first revealed to the FBI by George Papadouplos. Of course, Carter Page, the sometime Trump campaign staffer, had been under FBI surveillance off and on since 2013 because of suspicion that the Russians were trying, off and on, the recruit him as some kind of asset.
Then there is the variety of indictments/guilty
pleas, with the constant references in the media to the "cooperation" being
offered by those who plead guilty, to the Mueller investigation. The one big fish who has been indicted but has
not pled guilty as yet is of course Paul Manafort. However, recently, in an action that has not
gained too much media attention, a former Manafort son-in-law who was active
with him when he was helping to promote Russian interests in Ukraine before the
"Nuland Coup," has pled guilty and is "cooperating." (Let's just hope that there were no children
of that former union. This would be very
tough for them: Dad vs. Grandpa and [presumably] Mom.) So, there's an increasing amount of "legal
stuff" going on.
Then there's the increasing number of revelations
on various meetings that various Turmpites held with representatives of various
foreign nations. Certainly, if anything
of political value for the Trump Campaign was gained from these meetings,
either financial or substantive, that would be illegal. But even if nothing substantive came of the
various meetings, and Trump Jr. tells us over-and-over again that nothing did,
just meeting to inquire about possible benefits may be illegal. Of course, one cannot count on Trump Jr. as a reliable recollector of what actually happened at any of them. At one Senate Intelligence Committee meeting he
was reported to have said "I can't remember" 116 times. (And he's a good businessman?)
Click here for the full commentary.
Source: OpEdNews.com
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Meeting with North Korean Officials
Pompeo addressed reporters in New York City following his meetings with senior North Korean officials. He said he did not know whether the June 12 U.S.-North Korea
summit in Singapore was back on but told reporters “real progress” had
been made in the last 72 hours. Mr. Pompeo also announced that North Korean official Kim Yong-chol would travel to Washington to deliver a letter to President Trump by Kim Jong-un.
Click here for video.
Rex Tillerson Warns U.S. Faces Growing Crisis of Ethics and Integrity
In his commencement address to the Virginia Military Institute Class,
former Secretary Rex Tillerson says American democracy is threatened by a
growing “crisis of ethics and integrity,” and he warns against leaders
who “seek to conceal the truth.”
Click here fro video.
Madeleine Albright Discusses President Trump's Foreign Policy
Former Clinton administration secretary of state Madeleine Albright discusses foreign policy with Washington Post columnist David Ignatius.
Click here for video.
Source: C-SPAN
Wednesday, May 30, 2018
Conservatism and the Western Conservative Summit
Centennial Institute director Jeff Hunt discusses the state of conservatism and the upcoming Western Conservative Summit.
Click here for video.
Randi Weingarten Discusses Education Policy Under Betsy DeVos
American Federation of Teachers president Randi Weingarten discusses
education policy under Secretary Betsy DeVos and the role of teachers'
unions.
Click here for video.
Transgender Migrant from Honduras Dies in U.S. Custody
by Annie Rose Ramos
A transgender Honduran woman, who was part of the caravan of Central American migrants that arrived at the U.S. border earlier this month, died in detention on Friday.
Roxana
Hernandez, 33, died in the custody of U.S. Immigration and Customs
Enforcement (ICE) at a hospital in Albuquerque, New Mexico, from what
appeared to be cardiac arrest. Hernandez was first admitted to a
hospital more than a week ago “with symptoms of pneumonia, dehydration,
and complications associated with HIV,” according to a statement from
ICE.
Click here for the full article.
Tuesday, May 29, 2018
NY Students Announce Support for Student Journalist Free Speech Act
The Student Assembly of the State University of New York and the
University Student Senate of the City University of New York- which together
represent over 1.3 Million New York Students- are announcing joint support for
Bill A-9801/ S-7721 (Lupardo/O'Mara)- the Student Journalist Free Speech Act.
This legislation- if enacted- would offer greater protections
for student publications at all New York public educational institutions. While
school administrations would maintain the ability to intervene in the cases of
grievance abuses, this bill would protect the right of students to write about,
and offer opinions on, controversial issues.
“Student reporters are the next generation of journalists,” said
Assemblywoman Donna Lupardo, Assembly
sponsor of the Student Journalism Free Speech Act. “Having more control
over what they publish will support the integrity and independence expected of
professional journalists. Freedom of the press is central to our democracy;
it’s important that we give students that opportunity.”
"The role and the responsibility of a free press in
American democracy is one of the most timely and serious examinations taking
place in our society today,” said Senator
Tom O’Mara, Senate sponsor of the bill. “I'm hopeful that the introduction
of this legislation will help constructively and instructively contribute to
the discussion and, especially for aspiring journalists and their instructors
and mentors, help heighten their appreciation and understanding of the First
Amendment, the working press, and the protection and preservation of this ideal
moving forward into the 21st century."
"Student publications should be free from undue censorship
and interference from school administrations- and students should be allowed to
honestly critique school policy when necessary," said Michael Braun, President-Elect of the SUNY Student Assembly.
"New York's educational institutions should model the first amendment
values we teach our students are so essential to the exercise of our
democracy."
"At a time when thinly veiled attacks on student voices are
often coupled with claims of support for freedom of expression, it is important
we lend support to initiatives that amplify student voices. Today, we can start
right here, by supporting this bill to protect the rights of student journalists,"
said John Aderounmu, Chairperson of the
CUNY University Student Senate.
The SUNY Student Assembly and CUNY University Student Senate
urge the state legislature to pass the Student Journalist Free Speech Act
before this session adjourns in June.
Source: SUNY SA
ABC Cancels 'Roseanne' After Star's Racial Comments on Former Obama Staffer
Details are available in this New York Times article.
Rev. Al Sharpton Responds
New York, NY – Rev.
Al Sharpton, President, National Action Network released the following
statement today following ABC’s cancellation of Roseanne:
“ABC Television has done the right thing by immediately cancelling
Roseanne. Whether it was Imus calling the Rutgers University
women’s basketball disparaging names, a cartoonist at the NY Post making
a cartoon of President Barack Obama portraying him as an ape, or a
well-refined public servant like Valerie Jarrett
being depicted as an ape by Roseanne Barr, there is no place in media
for racism. Racism should not be tolerated by media that depends on
corporate advertisers that make their money selling their goods to
Americans. We will be vigilant and hold those accountable
that use public airwaves to spread hate. We are prepared to go to city
Comptrollers to have them drop stocks in media companies that engage in
bigotry and racism. We salute the rapid response of ABC but we will
continue to look into the hiring and business
practices of all that shape public opinion in American culture."
Former Governor Bill Weld to Speak at the Cannabis Business Conference at Javits Convention Center
A-List Celebrities, CEOs and Industry Entrepreneurs Will Also Attend
Paramus, NJ, — Bill Weld, former Governor of the State of Massachusetts, who along with former Speaker of the United States House of Representatives John Boehner, was recently named to the Board of Advisors for Acreage Holdings, one of the nation’s largest, multi-state actively-managed cannabis corporations, has been revealed as one of the speakers in the “Surprise Speakers Series,” taking place at the Cannabis World Congress & Business Exposition (CWCBExpo).
The event will run from May 30 to June 2 at the Javits Convention Center in New York. Governor Weld joins Mike James, a professional NFL football player, and other high-profile individuals who will all be making their first appearance at a national trade show and conference focused on the medical marijuana, industrial hemp and legalized cannabis industries.
The Surprise Speaker Series, presented by the National Hemp Association, with support from Acreage Holdings, will take place on May 31 at 1:00 p.m. The goal of the Surprise Speaker Series, and the CWCBExpo NY educational program, is to elevate the conversation about the benefits of the cannabis, debunk negative stigma, and offer information, tools, and resources for businesses to succeed in the industry.
Speaker Boehner and Governor Weld issued this part of a statement when appointed to the Board of Advisors for Acreage Holdings:
“While we come at this issue from different perspectives and track records, we both believe the time has come for serious consideration of a shift in federal marijuana policy. Over the past 20 years a growing number of states have experimented with their right to offer cannabis programs under the protection of the 10th amendment. During that period, those rights have lived somewhat in a state of conflict with federal policy. Also, during this period, the public perception of cannabis has dramatically shifted, with 94% of Americans currently in favor of some type of access, a shift driven by increased awareness of marijuana’s many medical applications.”
Click here for additional information on the conference and speakers.
Source: Fred Polsinelli
Allan Nairn on How Trump Dragged a Rightist Revolution to Power
Donald Trump has been in office 16
months. And the majority of media hours and column inches spent on his
administration deal primarily with the Russia investigation, Stormy
Daniels, and Trump’s personnel intrigue. It’s not that there isn’t great
journalism being done on other issues. It’s that this narrow set of
stories consume much of the energy and are on constant repeat pretty
much everywhere in corporate media, except for Fox News, which generally
broadcasts from an alternate reality.
On Intercepted, we have found it useful
to occasionally step back from the daily grind of the Trump presidency
and take stock of where we are and how we got here. My friend and
colleague Allan Nairn is one of the sharpest analysts of the modern
history of the American empire. As a journalist, he has played a
significant role in exposing United States involvement in and
sponsorship of brutal regimes and security forces around the globe. He
survived the Dili massacre in East Timor in the early 1990s; he exposed
the CIA’s financing of right-wing death squads in Haiti and the agency’s
support for brutal military dictators in places like Guatemala and El
Salvador; and he is perhaps the foremost expert in the world on the U.S.
support for the genocidal regime of Suharto in Indonesia.
Allan was one of my heroes and role
models when I first got into journalism in the mid-1990s. Last week was
his second appearance on Intercepted, where we played an excerpt of the
interview.
Click here for the interview.
White House Set to Place Tariffs on $50 Billion of China Goods Despite Truce
The US will keep taking action against China over trade, the White
House has said, just over a week after agreeing to put the dispute "on
hold".
Washington will release a list of some $50 billion worth of Chinese
goods that will be subject to a 25 per cent tariff on 15 June, the White
House said in a statement. The United States will also continue to
pursue litigation against China at the World Trade Organisation (WTO).
In addition, the Trump administration will announce investment
restrictions and “enhanced export controls” for Chinese individuals and
entities “related to the acquisition of industrially significant
technology” by the end of June.
Click here for the full article.
Source: The Independent
Facing Up to Worldwide Ecological Unraveling
'Future Hope' Column
By Ted Glick
Over
the last 15 years that I’ve been an activist and organizer on the issue
of human/system-caused climate disruption, I’ve many times discussed
with others if there is any hope of avoiding the ultimate unraveling of
the world’s ecosystems, given how deep a hole we are in. Put another
way, can we overcome in enough time the power of the fossil fuel
industry and their corporate and government collaborators?
Realistically,
there isn’t enough time to prevent major human and ecological damage on
a worldwide scale. It’s already happening, via extreme weather events
taking place more often and more destructively in all parts of the
world. These are going to get worse before, many years in the future,
they happen at a scale and frequency that is more normal; that is, more
like how and when they have happened in recent centuries.
Another
example is the war in Syria, which has led to a half-million deaths,
tremendous destruction, millions of refugees, and a rise in
anti-immigrant, racist political groups, particularly in Europe. The war
was caused in part by climate change via a horrific, many-years-long
drought that exacerbated economic hardship and social and political
instability.
How
will we as individuals and humanity as a whole cope if/when rising
temperatures and a disrupted climate lead to major crop failures and
water scarcity on top of all of the other impacts from extreme weather
events and unraveling ecological systems?
In
2007 I engaged in a climate emergency fast that ended up going 107
days. 25 days were on water-only; the rest were on fruit and vegetable
liquids, with powdered protein and vitamin supplements in the last 50
days. On about the 100th day I was reached out to by a young
Indigenous leader who wanted to meet with me. We did so, and we had a
deep and substantive talk for several hours.
The
one thing that has stayed with me about that conversation was when we
discussed what could be coming down the road as the climate becomes
increasingly unstable. This very grounded and very intelligent young man
spoke about how he had considered that in some Indigenous communities
it might be necessary for people to decide, literally, who should live
and who should die, who, by continuing to live, was best able to help as
many as possible to survive until things changed for the better.
Click here for the full article.
Source: tedglick.com
Why Your Health Insurer Doesn’t Care About Your Big Bills
Patients may think their insurers are fighting on their behalf for the best prices. But saving patients money is often not their top priority. Just ask Michael Frank.
This story was co-published with NPR.
Michael Frank ran his finger down his medical bill, studying the
charges and pausing in disbelief.
The numbers didn’t make sense.
His recovery from a partial hip replacement had been difficult. He’d
iced and elevated his leg for weeks. He’d pushed his 49-year-old body,
limping and wincing, through more than a dozen physical therapy
sessions.
The last thing he needed was a botched bill.
His December 2015 surgery to replace the ball in his left hip joint
at NYU Langone Medical Center in New York City had been routine. One
night in the hospital and no complications.
He was even supposed to get a deal on the cost. His insurance
company, Aetna, had negotiated an in-network “member rate” for him.
That’s the discounted price insured patients get in return for paying
their premiums every month.
But Frank was startled to see that Aetna had agreed to pay NYU
Langone $70,000. That’s more than three times the Medicare rate for the
surgery and more than double the estimate of what other insurance
companies would pay for such a procedure, according to a nonprofit that tracks prices.
Click here for the full article.
Source: ProPublica
Bernie Sanders Considering 2020 White House Run, Adviser Says
Jeff Weaver, an adviser to Senator Bernie Sanders and manager of his
2016 presidential campaign, says the Vermont independent is considering
another run for the White House in 2020 and "will decide when the time
comes."
Click here for video.
Source: C-SPAN
Washington Journal: A Discussion on Criminal Justice Reform
Freedom Partners chair Mark Holden discusses his group’s efforts to reform the criminal justice system.
Click here for video.
GOP's Midterm One-Two Punch: Keep Trump on the Trail, Senate Dems in D.C.
by Jonathan Allen, Hallie Jackson, Leigh Ann Caldwell and Geoff Bennett
WASHINGTON — Republicans are coalescing around a two-theater plan of
political attack to save their Senate majority: keep President Donald
Trump barnstorming the trail for GOP candidates while Senate Majority
Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., keeps Democratic incumbents off it for
floor votes in Washington.
McConnell is threatening to cancel all
or part of the annual August recess to focus on trying to confirm
Trump's nominees, and sources close to and inside the White House who
spoke to NBC News on the condition of anonymity said that they are
optimistic he will follow through on that course.
The
challenge for Republicans is that there is no clear path forward on any
major legislation at a time when Trump will be trying to rally base
voters in a series of states where Republicans are defending their own
seats and trying to knock Democrats out of theirs.
Click here for the full article.
Source: NBC News
Slovakia Rocked By Murder of Investigative Journalist
This report was published on YouTube on May 28.
Source: FRANCE 24 English
Eye on Africa: Dozens of Civil Servants Arrested in Kenya Corruption Probe
Source: FRANCE 24 English
Once-Thriving City Nonprofit Sputters Under Mayor’s Wife, Chirlane McCray
By William Neuman and J. David Goodman
In the
years after the Sept. 11 attacks, the Mayor’s Fund to Advance the City
of New York became a fund-raising juggernaut: The city-run nonprofit,
which channels donations to city programs or causes, raised tens of
millions of dollars from private sources.
But
under Mayor Bill de Blasio, the fund has not kept pace. Contributions
are stagnant, if not falling, and now support fewer programs.
And
the chairwoman of the nonprofit, Chirlane McCray, has largely been
missing in action: She has attended less than half of the fund’s board
meetings, and her outreach to donors has been sporadic.
Ms.
McCray, the mayor’s wife, has not even set foot in the fund’s office
for nearly a year; her public schedules in 2017 recorded less than 20
hours spent on Mayor’s Fund business during the entire year.
Click here for the full article.
Source: The New York Times (via Empire Report New York)